health

Late last year, experts predicted that kimchi—a spicy-slash-sour Korean dish made with fermented cabbage, vegetables, and spices—would be one of this year's biggest superfoods. Here's why: The fermentation of all those veggies means an abundance of probiotics, which have been shown to boost the immune system, aid in digestion, and help reduce cholesterol. Kimchi is also high in vitamin C and vitamin B, fiber, and minerals (like iron, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium). So how does one incorporate this superfood into one's diet? So glad one asked! Check out these recipe ideas, courtesy of Bibigo: Kimchi Bokkeum Bap: Made with zucchini, chicken breast, onions, spinach, seaweed, and—as you can tell—an egg. (Here's the full recipe.) Kimchi Tofu: Kimchi (of course), onions, chili powder, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, and—as the name implies—plenty of tofu. (But vegetarians, be aware: The recipe also calls for pork.) Bibimguksu: This kimchi-rich recipe uses lettuce, thin wheat noodles, a cucumber, chicory, and—if you so desire—you can top it with chicken or anything else you might like. Drooling. Have you had kimchi before? Would you try any of these? read more

If you were even considering skipping your usual run this Valentine's Day, here's some compelling evidence as to why you may want to do exactly the opposite. Brooks Running—maker of running shoes and all kinds of gear—asked 1,000 men and women runners questions like, "Do pre-race 'relations' improve your running performance?" and "Does going for a run make you frisky?" The results? Forty-one percent of respondents said that running gets them in the right mood for love, while 48 percent said that having sex before running a race actually improved their overall performance. (Performance in the race, I mean.) Past surveys have also found that couples who run together have more sex. Sensing a theme, eh? What do you think? Do you run or work out with your significant other? read more

Customized workouts—either one-on-one with a trainer or in classes with no more than four people—sound like they should be (1) super-hard to find, and/or (2) expensive. But neither is the case with this cool app. Vint is an app (downloadable via iTunes or Google Play) that lets you book workout sessions with a fitness pro according to your own schedule and type of exercise you want to do (including things like yoga, HIIT, tennis, Pilates, Zumba, biking, and tons of others). Everything is managed in-app—no phone calls or "now visit so-and-so website" sort of stuff. But there's another feature on Vint that I think is especially interesting: a concierge service, where you answer questions about your favorite fitness activities, most preferred location, and times that are best for you to exercise, and Vint will make a match between a nearby instructor and a type of training that fits with your requirements. The app itself is free, but booking a class requires payment (which makes sense): $35 per class or $95 per month (with as many sessions as you want). Neat idea, right? read more

If you ever needed an excuse to share a smooch, here it is. Stand Up to Cancer wants you to snap a picture of a silly, sweet, or sappy kiss, tag it #KissCancerGoodbye, and put it on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook through February 14 in order to raise awareness for the organization's goal of helping turn all cancer patients into survivors. And the kisses can be with anyone—loved ones, friends, kids...even pets! Here are a few sweet examples: For #WorldCancerDay, Mandy Brisco and her two sons share their #KissCancerGoodbye picture in honor of their Papa. pic.twitter.com/TI3H00NFlU— Stand Up To Cancer (@SU2C) February 5, 2015 You have until Febuary 14th to show me your #kisscancergoodbye photos! @su2c
New @chasinglifeabcf TONIGHT 9/8c 😘 pic.twitter.com/eciXH39rWn— Haley Ramm (@halesbells) February 3, 2015 #KissCancerGoodbye with a #tbt of @AshBenzo and I from back in the day 😚 pic.twitter.com/r3BoOAnHky— Keegan Allen (@KeeganAllen) January 22, 2015 I want to #KissCancerGoodbye with @relaykcmo, so I don't ever have to worry about losing my beloved fiancé to the disease! Cancer has taken far too many of my loved ones in this life. A photo posted by Tina Smithers (@tinasmithers) on Feb 9, 2015 at 7:39am PST Seven years ago, read more

These gray, cold, cloudy days can give anyone the ho-hums. But for some people, it's more than just a case of the blues—it's seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a clinical diagnosis that's related to fewer daylight hours. "Reduced sunlight in the fall and winter disrupts your body's circadian rhythm—or 'biological internal clock,'" says Joe Taravella, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and supervisor of pediatric psychology at Rusk NYU Langone Medical Center. "A key feature is that it follows a regular pattern and appears each year as the seasons change and goes away several months later, often as spring emerges." Cases of SAD peak when you might expect they would—December, January, February—and it's more prevalent in areas to the north. But, interestingly...Taravella says that three quarters of the people who suffer from SAD are women. So how do you know if you have SAD? The symptoms, according to Taravella, include feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, guilt, irritability, restlessness, along with fatigue, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, a hard time sleeping or oversleeping, weight changes, and increased cravings, as well as thoughts of death and suicide. "You may lose interest in activities you used to enjoy," he says. "But there’s hope...as it’s read more

Lactose-free, 50 percent more protein, 30 percent more calcium, and 50 percent less sugar than regular milk...meet Coca-Cola's new designer milk (distributed in conjunction with Fairlife and Select Milk Producers), set to roll out across the country in the next few weeks. Before bottling, Fairlife milk is "ultra-filtered" into five parts—vitamins, lactose, butterfat, water, and protein—and then recombines four of them (lactose is eliminated altogether) to create a kind of nutrient-packed power-milk. After that process is complete, there are no additional protein powders or supplements put into the result. In a conference call with journalists a few days ago, the founders also explained that the cows producing the milk are treated humanely and well fed in stress-free conditions (on a farm that converts manure into compressed natural gas for energy). It's been reported that the milk—available in fat-free, reduced-fat, whole, and chocolate versions—will cost twice what the usual dairy milk might offer. As to the taste? Preliminary reviews say it's pretty similar to regular milk (though the chocolate variety has been compared to something closer to a milk shake). What do you think—will you try it? read more

There are lots of cool-sounding calorie- and -fitness trackers—Fitbit, Nike+, Jawbone UP, Gear Fit, LifeTrak—but how do you really know if it's the right one for you unless you buy it? Well. Like this. Lumoid is a service that will send you—for an entire week—any five gadgets that you've always wanted to try out in your day-to-day life. If you find the perfect thing that works for you, great! You can buy it. If you don't? You send 'em all back (paying no more than $20 for the "rental"). Lumoid is also—in the very near future—adding a waiting list for anyone who wants to give the new Apple Watch a tryout too. So if you're curious, it's worth keeping an eye out. (Or "watch"ing.) (Sorry.) Neat idea, right? read more

Nondairy milk lovers, this is news that may make you say "thanks a latte": As of February 17, Starbucks will offer coconut milk as an alternative in all of its U.S. locations. The coconut milk alternative went through a test run this past fall, after the company noted that more than 84,000 votes at mystarbucksidea.com were specifically for a milk option that was neither dairy nor soy. According to Starbucks, coconut milk—Starbucks' version is certified vegan, made from single-origin coconuts from Sumatra—was the winning choice because "the rich, creaminess of coconut milk is the best complement to Starbucks hot, iced, and Frappuccino beverages without the same allergen challenges present in almond milk." Initially, coffee chains seemed to take a while to offer soy milk as a milk alternative, but almond and coconut milk have gotten pretty big pushes, pretty quickly (don't most non-milk drinkers generally prefer almond or coconut to soy, anyway?): Dunkin' Donuts added almond milk to its menu last September; since last March, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has almond-coconut milk. What's your favorite milk? Will you try this new offering at Starbucks? read more

We know that no exercise is no good—studies have found that not getting thyself to the gym may be just as bad for your health as smoking, and sitting for too long can result in depression and increased mortality rates. So you might assume that lots of running could reverse all of that...right? Well, give this new study a look. New research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology looked at more than 5,000 healthy adults—1,098 were joggers and 3,950 were considered "sedentary." Over the course of 12 years, researchers tracked how many hours participants spent going for runs, along with their jogging paces. They found that those who jogged at a pace of 5 miles per hour for one to 2.4 hours a week—spending no more than 3 days during the week doing so—had the lowest mortality rates. But both the sedentary group and the runners who ran 4 hours per week (whose paces were 7 miles per hour) had higher rates of mortality. Their hypothesis as to why: Strenuous running, over time, could perhaps harm the heart. Says lead author Dr. Peter Schnohr: "The U-shaped association between jogging and mortality suggests there may be an upper read more

Last year, Beyonce and Jay Z made headlines for embarking on a 22-day vegan diet challenge. Apparently, they liked it—well, it's safe to assume that Beyonce seemed to like it, anyway, because she has just launched a home-delivery vegan meal service with exercise physiologist and trainer Marco Borges. The service—22 Days Nutrition—offers home delivery of freshly prepared, non-frozen plant-based meals (they're also organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, and sans soy and dairy), to anywhere in the continental United States—arriving by 5 P.M. each Friday with a week's worth of food. There are three plans from which you can choose, depending on how many meals you want (for example: ordering a 22-day subscription for one meal a day works out to $326.70, not including shipping). Why 22...and not 15 or 30? According to 22 Days Nutrition, it takes 21 days to break old habits. On the 22nd day, you may be on your way to making new ones. In a press release for the new service, Bey said: "[Borges] came up with a great program to get people motivated to make better nutritional choices. All you have to do is try. If I can do it, anyone can." Curiosity: piqued! Would you try read more

Who needs drinking games on Super Bowl Sunday when you can do this instead? Here's a fun workout game (no, really—it's fun! Keep reading!) from John Rowley, certified personal trainer, director of the International Sports Sciences Association, and author of The Power of Positive Fitness. Quarterback Sack Crunches Targets: core When your quarterback gets sacked, lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and hands behind your head. Tilt your chin slightly, leaving a few inches of space between your chin and your chest Curl up and forward so that your head, neck, and shoulder blades lift off the floor, Hold for 2 seconds at the top of the movement and then lower slowly back down. Repeat 15 times. Field Goal Lunge Targets: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps When your team kicks one through the yellow uprights for 3 points, get into a wide lunge stance. Start with your right leg forward and your left leg back. Drop down into a lunge and hold at the bottom for three seconds. Perform 10 lunges (5 each leg) with a 3-second hold per side. First Down High Knees Targets: lower body, core; provides cardio When your team read more

Leah told you earlier this month that most women wash their pajamas only every 17 days. As if that weren't gross enough, there's now a Buzzfeed story that claims we don't wash our towels enough either. I'll let them tell you how often you should be washing your bath towels and your dish towels, but we need to discuss this washcloth situation. To be honest, I don't use a washcloth that often—I'm guilty of relying heavily on cleansing wipes and micellar water—but when I do, I don't usually put it immediately in the washing machine when I'm done. This could be problematic, Kelly A. Reynolds, Ph.D., an environmental health science professor at the University of Arizona, told Buzzfeed. "Washcloths typically become soaked and heavily soiled during use,” she says. “When used to scrub skin, soils from makeup or dead skin cells can rapidly accumulate. Being wet and not just damp means there is a longer dry time. This lengthy condition of moisture creates the perfect environment for bacteria and mold to grow to unacceptable levels.” Be honest, how often do you reuse your washcloths before, er, washing them? PS: Did you know there is a specific color washcloth you should read more

In the latest issue of Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow suggested "v-steams"—essentially, spa treatments that aim to improve the health of your vagina by using herbal-infused steam. Gwyneth—in writing about the Tikkun Holistic Spa in California for Goop—said: "You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus, et al.... It is an energetic release—not just a steam douche—that balances female hormone levels." Since its publication, some experts have not exactly been on board with the idea. Jen Gunter, M.D., took to her blog to assert that the process is a "don't": "Steam is probably not good for your vagina. Herbal steam is no better and quite possibly worse. Mugwort or wormwood or whatever when steamed, either vaginally or on the vulva, can’t possibly balance any reproductive hormones, regulate your menstrual cycle, treat depression, or cure infertility." And, according to Sheryl Ross, M.D., F.A.C.O.G, women's health expert and physician in private practice in Santa Monica, Calif., about this steamy (heh?) subject, and she said: "I am one for thinking outside the 'box,' but in this case. I don't think there are any true medical benefits by steam-cleaning the vagina. The outside of the read more

We've all got our must-watch shows (I am really, really woefully behind on most of mine; TiVo says I have three Glee episodes to watch). A recent study linked too much-TV time to an increased risk of dying earlier (yay...), but now another one has suggested that binge-watching television may also have a correlation with depression and loneliness. The study—from the University of Texas at Austin—surveyed more than 300 young adults about how often they watched TV, as well as their emotional states, and discovered that those who reported feeling more lonely and depressed were also more likely to binge-watch their favorite TV shows. In fact: 75 percent of participants said they binge-watched (the most popular shows being Orange Is the New Black, Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and Desperate Housewives). Why? Well, say the authors: For those who are are feeling depressed or lonely, binge-watching allows them to escape from their negative feelings. So what do you think about all of this? read more

You may have noticed some random smeared-lipstick shots in your Instagram/Twitter feeds over the past couple days. Rita Ora (@ritaora) 28 2015 12:07 PST A photo posted by Georgia May Jagger (@georgiamayjagger) on Jan 27, 2015 at 6:46am PST The striking smudge shots—like these posted by Rita Ora and model Georgia May Jagger—bear the hashtag #smearforsmear, which aims to raise awareness of cervical cancer and encourage women to book a Pap smear. Jagger nominated friends Cara Delevingne and Suki Waterhouse to post their own smudge shots next, and Ora nominated model Jourdan Dunn, so we're anticipating seeing lots more famous faces bringing attention to this campaign. The catchy social media campaign was started by Jo's Cervial Cancer Trust, a leading charity in the U.K., and is already having an impact here in the U.S.; I can see it really catching on over the next couple of days. In fact, our counterparts at British Glamour dubbed #smearforsmear the new Ice Bucket Challenge! So, are you going to take a #smearforsmear selfie? Tag @get_lipstick when you post it so we can see what shade you choose! And, more important, are you up to date on Pap smears? If you're not sure, call read more

When I wear my Fitbit (I have a tendency to—unconsciously—take off wearable tech while I snooze, which is a bummer, because sleep is one of those things I definitely want to track), I love analyzing the data it provides. (There was one day, apparently, when I logged more than three miles just going up and down the stairs of my house. Who knew?) But here's extra incentive to keep that wristband on! What's especially cool right now is that Fitbit has a new initiative—FitForFood—where, once device users burn one billion calories, the company will donate 1.5 million meals to Feeding America in order to provide nutritious meals to those who need them. Essentially, you're donating your extra calories. Spokesguy Joel McHale has signed on too: What do you think, Fitbit users? read more

I've been seeing a lot about matcha lately—essentially, green tea in its whole-leaf form—and it has piqued my curiosity. So when Liz Moody, healthy food and lifestyle Instagrammer of Not Crazy Healthy, sent in her own recipe for matcha basil marshmallows, it seemed like the perfect time to explore. (I mean. Just look below. Yum.) First, says Liz, matcha "offers all of the benefits of green tea (fat-burning, antioxidants) with a much steadier caffeine release and a lovely anti-stress effect." And science says she's right: Utilizing the entire leaf (instead of steeping it) boosts the amount of catechins you consume. Liz's recipe also has basil, an herb that's rich in antioxidants and may boost your immunity. (Plus, it's just yummy in almost everything...even marshmallows!) Matcha Basil Marshmallows 1 cup water Handful fresh basil leaves (or a teaspoon of dry basil) 1 tsp. matcha green tea (available in any Whole Foods or on Amazon) 3/4 cup honey 4 tbsp. of gelatin (preferably grass-fed, available at any Whole Foods or on Amazon) Boil the water and pour it over the basil. Let steep for at least 10 minutes, or as long as overnight for a stronger flavor, then strain out the read more

I hope everyone's staying warm and snug on this snow day (in New Mexico, we only dream of this thing called "snow"—but I still empathize!). If you've got a bit of cabin fever and want something yummy and warm—yet healthy!—consider breaking out that slow cooker and get...you know, cooking (even though that cooker does most of it for you—hence the beauty of the beast). I mean, how yummy does this PB&J quinoa oatmeal look from Slender Kitchen? Sunday Slow Cooker: PB&J Quinoa Oatmeal - http://t.co/gVQ0wUWQm6 pic.twitter.com/oPkup8Zptt— Slender Kitchen (@slenderkitchen) January 4, 2015 And there are soooo many more tasty-yet-health-minded recipes you can throw in the slow cooker. Here are some favorites: * Sarah Jio's recommended Coconut-Curry Beef Over Noodles * Hungry Girl's Cheeseburger Mac Attack * Eating Well's Black Bean-Mushroom Chili * SkinnyTaste's Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip * Skinny Ms's Slow Cooker Enchiladas * Stephanie O'Dea's 16 Bean Soup Do you slow-cook (wait, is that even a verb? Well, it is now)? What are your favorite cold-weather recipes? read more